Richard Stren has accepted a one-year appointment as interim director of Cities Centre. An Emeritus Professor of Political Science and former Director of the Centre for Urban and Community Studies (predecessor to Cities Centre), from 1989 to 2000, Professor Stren looks forward to continuing in the best traditions of interdisciplinary urban research at the University of Toronto.

The Collaborative Graduate Program in Community Development has extended its due date for applications to Friday, September 14 ...more

Cities Centre congratulates Senior Advisor and former Interim Director, Professor Emeritus Larry BourneofGeography and Planning, on receiving the International Geographical Union's Lauréat d’honneur. The Lauréat d’honneur was inaugurated in 1976 to honor individuals who have achieved particular distinction or who have rendered outstanding service in the work of the IGU or in international geography and environmental research. It is awarded every four years to no more than three or four individuals. Professor Bourne is only the second Canadian to receive this award.

Hold the date! Hot on the heels of last year’s standing-room only Toronto in Question series, Cities Centre is pleased to announce that the 2012-13 lecture and discussion series is currently in the works. This year’s theme, Governance in Toronto, will be examined in-depth over the course of seven talks that will feature a practitioner, an academic, and a moderated audience-led discussion. The first session “Being Mayor in Toronto” with Barbara Halland Sylvia Bashevkintakes place on Thursday, September 27, 6:30-8:30pm at 230 College Street, Room 103. Space is limited and RSVPs will be required. Listserv subscribers will receive a notice when RSVPs open…more

TheNeighbourhood Change Research Partnership announces that policy briefs, written by its members, are now available on their website: In a State of Good Repair? The City of Toronto’s Public Housing by Robert Murdie, and Anything But Scattered: The Proposed Sale of Toronto Community Housing’s Standalone Scattered-Site Housing and Implications for Building an Inclusive Toronto by Alan Walks were posted in August …link

Jamison Steeve has been appointed Executive Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI) at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and the Institute for Competitiveness &Prosperity (ICP) ...more

Cities Centre Associate and CERIS Board Member Minelle Mahtani spoke out on Canadian identity and 'neutral ethnicity' in the Globe and Mail …more

A Research Summary of Parent-Infant Separation in Transnational Families: Risk, Resilience and the Needs of Young Immigrant Parents by Yvonne Bohr, Michaela Hynie, Natasha Whitfield, Cynthia Shih and Sadia Zafar has been posted online by CERIS …link

Carbon in the bank: Ontario's Greenbelt and its role in mitigating climate change a report prepared by Ray Tomalty, Ph.D., Smart Cities Research Services, with assistance from Jason Fair, MPA, for the David Suzuki Foundation with support from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation was posted in August …link

John Tory, Chair of CivicAction, was appointed Co-chair of the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance effective September 1st…more

Sukkahville 2012 invites you to come see five unique, innovative and creative Sukkah designs from around the world on Sunday, September 30 at Mel Lastman Square. The afternoon event features hands-on build by Habitat for Humanity and live music by Klezconnection …more …video featuring innovative designs from 2011

Five Good Ideas is a series of free lunch-and-learn sessions where industry or issue experts discuss powerful yet practical ideas on key management issues facing non-profit organizations. Presented by Maytree …more and register

Monday, September 10, 6:30-9pm: Heritage Open House- Proposed Official Plan Policies City of Toronto staff host a Heritage Open House to present and meaningfully discuss the proposed draft heritage policies. Room 308-309 of Metro Hall, 55 John Street …proposed draft policies

Monday, September 10, 7pm: Hop to it! A public information night about runoff voting and Toronto’s elections Presented by Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto. Co-sponsored by the School of Public Policy and Governance. 14 Queen’s Park Crescent West …RSVP and more

Tuesday, September 11, 12:15-1:45pm: New Perspectives on Technology & Development: A Seminar Conversation on CampusTyler Cowen @tylercowen New York Times Best-selling Author and Economist. Presented by School of Public Policy and Governance, Croft Chapter House, 15 King's College Circle …register and more

Tuesday, September 11, 7pm: The Great Stagnation: How America Ate All the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick and Will (Eventually) Feel Better Tyler Cowen @tylercowen, New York Times Best-selling Author and Economist, with a response from Andrew Coyne @coyne. Presented by School of Public Policy and Governance, Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. W. …register and more

Wednesday, September 12, 5:30-10pm: Canada Green Building Council – Greater Toronto Chapter Boat Cruise A networking event and exploration of the revitalization project of Waterfront Toronto, followed by dinner and a cruise through the islands …register and more

Thursday, September 13, 7-9:30pm: How Can We Make Education More Equal? Kyle Hill & Adam Goldenberg, Co-founders of "Teach for Canada" @TeachForCanada. Presented by School of Public Policy and Governance, Centre for Social Innovation, 720 Bathurst Street …register and more

Monday, September 17, 4:30-6pm: Canada's Changing Social Fabric: What can we learn from Social Democratic America? Lane Kenworthy, Professor of Sociology and Political Science, University of Arizona. Presented by School of Public Policy and Governance, Canadiana Gallery, 14 Queen's Park Crescent W. …register and more

Wednesday, September 19, 4-6pm: The Reform of the Business Property Tax in Ontario Michael Smart, Professor of Economics, University of Toronto. Presented by Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto, Room 108N North House, Munk School of Global Affairs, 1 Devonshire Place …register and more

Thursday, October 4, 1:30-2:15pm: Social Media and Privacy Legislation Emma Teitel, Maclean's columnist. Presented by School of Public Policy and Governance, Canadiana Gallery, 14 Queen's Park Crescent W. …register and more

Tuesday, October 9, 7:30pm: Heritage Toronto Awards and William Kilbourn Memorial LectureAwards hosted by Mary Ito, Fresh Air, CBC Radio. William Kilbourn Memorial Lecture: Layered City: 200 Years of the Mississaugas and TorontoChief Bryan LaForme, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. Koerner Hall, Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St. West …tickets and more

Thursday, October 11, 6pm: Vital Signs: On the Importance of Healthy Cities and How Toronto is PerformingPresented by Yonge Street Speaker Series sponsored by the Toronto Community Foundation. Panelists: Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO, Toronto Community Foundation; Mary Rowe, Vice President, Managing Director, The Municipal Art Society of New York (MASNYC). Facilitated by Peter MacLeod, Principal, Mass LBP. Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, 2 Sussex Ave., free admission ...register and more